Qarabag Coach: 'Chelsea did not expect us to play counterattack'

Chelsea players faced strong criticism from Qarabag’s coach Gurban Gurbanov following the 2-2 draw in the Champions League group stage on the morning of November 6 (Vietnam time).

In the first 20 minutes, Chelsea showed the true image of a “big club”. Champions League. At the 16th minute, young talent Estevao once again demonstrated why he is considered the future of Stamford Bridge by scoring the opening goal with a classy finish. However, as Chelsea started to relax and became somewhat complacent, Qarabag immediately pushed back. In the 29th minute, Camilo Duran struck a long-range shot that hit the post before the rebound fell perfectly for Leandro Andrade to tap into an empty net, leveling the score. Six minutes before halftime, defender Jorrel Hato committed a foul inside the box and Marko Jankovic calmly converted the penalty, putting the home side ahead 2-1.

Unhappy with the poor first half, coach Maresca made three substitutions after the break, including bringing Alejandro Garnacho on. That decision paid off immediately. Just 12 minutes later, Garnacho confidently dribbled straight into the penalty area before curling a left-footed shot into the corner past the goalkeeper, securing the 2-2 draw. However, instead of using the equalizer as momentum to push forward, Chelsea continued to play loosely. The match turned into an open chase with numerous chances shared by both sides, completely contradicting the control and discipline philosophy Maresca emphasizes.

After the match, coach Gurban Gurbanov expressed his pride openly: “First of all, I want to congratulate the fans. This is a great day, just a few days before Victory Day. My players fought like warriors, showing the spirit of Azerbaijan against the world champions. We were fearless and this result will boost the team’s confidence even more. Perhaps Chelsea players were distracted and did not expect us to dare to attack.”

Chelsea’s starting lineup had an average age of only 23 years and 97 days, the second youngest ever for an English club in an away Champions League match. This lack of experience almost cost them dearly. Maresca frankly said: “The biggest difference today was in the penalty area. Our goals conceded were really silly. Meanwhile, in the opponent’s half, despite having many chances, we lacked sharpness. That is something we need to improve.”

The Italian coach also praised Qarabag: “They are a good team, I have said that before. Especially when playing at home, they are very tough to face.”

After this draw, Chelsea and Qarabag both have 7 points from 4 matches. The English side currently sits 12th, while only the top 8 teams advance directly to the Champions League round of 16. The threat of being pushed to the playoffs is becoming more real, especially as Chelsea will soon face tough opponents including Barcelona, Atalanta, and Napoli.

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